Huntsville gazette., 1887-12-24
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ALABAMA.
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sort OF please her; apples was skerce up
there. Seemed as though she growed sweet
er an prettier every day. Poll and Sally
was real clever, and master hands to work,
but there didn't none of the lumber hands
ever ask them to fetch the dipper, you'd
better b'lieve. Sally had fire-red hair and
green eyes, and was as freckled as frog;
and Poll had a whopper jaw and snub
nose; so they wasn't what you might call
real enticin', neither of 'em. But Pauliny-
great Gosh! she was hull team as fur as
looks go; and as clever as she was good
lookin'.
'.They say looks don't go fur, but tell We
they do; tisn't cabbages and p'taters that
folks build glass houses for, so as to have
'em ALI times O. year-it's posies and roses
and sech A good woman's a good thing,
but when she's good-lookin' to boot she's
the best thing this side Of Jordan, now I
tell ye
"Weil, the summertime went along, and
I got to feeln' as though must find out
whether Pauliny thought as much of me as
did of her, before L put in to that lumber
fob; and was a thinkin' how l should do it,
and kind of despisin' myself for bein scar't
at little woman yet havn' to own that I'd
rather face a ''painters with jack-knife
than ask her fair and squar' how 1t was with
her, when came stumblin' one day into the
barn, and there was Sam, face down in the
hay-bay.
".Samp says !, what ails yea be you at
tacted with colic: He was kind of sub
jicted to that.
Mop growled Sam jest like bear.
"sWell, git up then, and let feller do
suthin' for ye, can't you? says l. For set
a lot by Sam, but he didn't know it. Our
folks amt the gabbin kind.
'Sheariashub' says he, sort of solum, for
gener'lly he called me Jash for short. i
want to ask ye question:
"'Well, says l, git up out O that hay
an ask it, darn ye! It'll be half hay-seed eff
you DON'T
$50 he got up, and I see his eyes was red.
90 Shearjashub,' says he agin, be you
arcourtin' Pauliny?'
"'No,' says |, short as pie-crust.
"sBecause if you be- says he, settin'
down ON nail-keg, and speaking real delib-
crate, 'becaase if you be, I'll put out for
Littleton, and go a-lumberin.'
"'What forn says 1.
"sBecos you're the biggest, and you could
lick me all to slivers.
81 had to larf couldn't help it. Why,
wouldn't no more hev laid finger on Sam
than I'd cut my hand off. Look-a-here,'
says l, 'we'n draw lots, and him that beats
shall hev the first ask So l drawed out
two straWs out of the heap and broke 'em
off, and Sam got the largest one. Twas
quite spell before he burst come up to the
scratch, and was ridin' on rail, as you
may say, till he did, but about the end of
November he asked her, and got the mitten.
Poor Saml he couldn't go, nor he didn't
want to stay; but he did want to see how !
come out, though he was pretty sartin sure,
and so was /, for she was real pleasant to
me, and there wasn't nobody round but
S'rend Marvin, and she made as though she
hated him, for if he come into one door she'd
slip out to another, and she'd turn as red
as if he spoke to her, but she'd come and set
down alongside of me any time, and chat
ter like chipmunk. Well, I felt real easy,
and hated to make Sam down-hearted, 50
] kind of worried along till it come New
Year time, and was out in the shed splitin'
of her some kindin's, and heered some
body come into the kitchen door, and say:
"'Pve fetched you a New Years present.
Mis- Slater, and want one back IAkdr
says mother, them pa'tridges be as plump
ss apples. Paulny, you hang EN- up in the
milk-room winder.'
llc was DIG kHOGuOlc III Iuat WOOU-
shed door and I peeped to see who twas
and sure enough twas Siren Marvin; and
as Psuliny come to pick up the birds he
ketched her by the hand, and says he:
"'Ms' Slater, want you to give me this
New Years present O. yours, for mine
"'Why, why!' says mother, kinder f1us-
frated.
"'What say, Pauliny? be you willin' and
up went Pauliny's apern over her face and
Siren he flung his arms round her.
I cut for the barn.
"'Samn sez I. 'She won't have me
nuther; she's goin' to hev Siren Marvin
"'Let's 60 lumberin,' says Sam.
So we went"
But you married afterward9' l asked
'sYes, yes; out in the woods the's got to be
women folks about. She wasn't much to
look at, but her slapjacks and punkin pies
was good. That goes great ways"
had to turn away to smile at this IN
divine philosophy, and when l had sobered
my face and looked round, Shearjashub
Slater had mounted to the top of the Plyn
outh stage, and waved his hand to me in a
mute farewell. ROSE TERRY COOKE.